Amazon's streaming platform, Twitch, is now testing vertical videos, signaling a switch for its content creators and audience. The experience is currently at an early alpha testing stage, with only a handful of live streamers going live with the new format.
The company's latest direction follows similar moves made by the likes of Instagram and TikTok for its live streams, which feature the vertical format.
Twitch Tests Vertical Video Streams for Creators
The TwitchCon event earlier this year confirmed that the company is shifting towards the vertical video format, and the first evidence of this has been recently discovered by AppSensa.
According to a report by TechCrunch, the market intelligence firm claims that it has found several references in the app's code highlighting this switch. It was revealed that it is still at a limited testing release for select streamers only.
A new "vertical theater mode" was also found for the Twitch mobile app which features dedicated user interface elements, as well as a way to toggle from the classic format to the new vertical video and vice versa.
Twitch's live streams appearing in a native vertical video format would be a first for the platform, following the footsteps of the likes of Instagram and TikTok, which feature live streaming in portrait by default.
Twitch's Changes to Its Experiences
Last year, Twitch featured a new TikTok-like feed which offers live streams and clips uploaded by creators. However, most creators who utilize this experience offer their videos in landscape that fit in the middle of the portrait feed, which leaves gaps above and below the streams.
The streaming platform first offered an update to its mobile app, focusing on on-demand clips from creators or those that were taken from streams to appear in the vertical format.
The vertical video format mostly suits mobile platforms, which has significantly changed how social media platforms present video content. However, Twitch and YouTube are heavily inclined towards the horizontal format as most creators focus on gaming streams.
That, too, looks like it's about to change for Twitch.
Originally published on Tech Times
